Outdoors are no place for these animals

Wow, what an ignorant editorial on the cat leash proposal in Concord (“Cats: If you like it, put a bell on it,” May 3). Concern for songbirds drove Lydia Lodnysky’s proposal that the town of Concord adopt rules about cat ownership. But her proposal was doomed because people’s view of cats is outdated.

Cats are supposedly so independent that no laws should apply to their ownership. Let them roam freely, so that they can get mangled by a car, coyote, dog, insane person — by all means, allow them to be the innately wild creatures that they are. Imagine if people in cities and everywhere else could just let their dogs go outside to wander, poop, and intimidate people. That’s how it was a generation ago. Likewise, the presumption that cats cannot be content without going outside needs a revamp.